ATLANTA — The Chattanooga City Council is continuing its push for rail connections to other cities and regions across the southeast, including a potential partnership train-based partnership to connect it to Atlanta.
A city spokesman confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that the city was exploring connections with Atlanta, Nashville and Memphis.
If the proposal for what city officials are calling the Sunbelt Atlantic Connector moves forward, it would create a new intercity, interregional rail corridor in the southeast United States, and Atlanta would be the only Georgia city included.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Project details from Chattanooga council documents show Chattanooga would take the lead on the program, though multiple organizations and state agencies would also be involved, along with the City of Atlanta and other municipalities.
The proposal includes a provision to have the transportation partnership operated as a 501(c)(4) called the Sunbelt-Atlantic Rail Compact, with a future board of directors that would include stakeholders along the route, not just in the cities that form the destinations.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Cold night ahead after sunny, breezy but chilly day
- NWS preliminarily confirms EF-1 tornado in Carroll County during Saturday storms
- Restaurant open since 1955 shutting down over ‘unprofessional’ Georgia county employee
In terms of what the rail partnership would be, council documents state that it would not be:
- A high-speed rail
- A maglev
- Nonstop
- All new construction
- Independent effort
Instead, the partnership would use existing infrastructure where practical, have multiple stops, use a standard passenger rail and include some potential construction to build it out.
Should the process not be halted, Chattanooga officials said in planning documents that they “ARE on the path to have passenger rail linking East and West Tennessee and the State of Georgia,” with some involvement of Amtrak.
Documents show part of the impetus to create the new rail corridor and get things on track is due to an expected 26.7% increase in auto trips to Tennessee by 2045 and a 30% increase in commute times.
Across the United States, Chattanooga officials said Amtrak reported a 24% ridership increase.
Economically, passenger rail is said to create $4 in benefits for every dollar spent.
As the rail partnership is implemented, the proposal says it would start off connecting Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta.
As it grows to higher tiers, the documents say it could end up getting as far out as connections with Knoxville, Bristol and even Chicago and Louisville.
The process’ first step, “Scope” is finished, which means Chattanooga and its partners are moving into the planning phase, through at least 2027.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]